


Promises Kept

by Kittisnake



Series: Mara's Thief [1]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-26
Updated: 2015-08-01
Packaged: 2018-04-11 09:16:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4429772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kittisnake/pseuds/Kittisnake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The streets of Whiterun are no place for a little girl, but Lucia has nowhere else to go. Then she meets a mysterious stranger who's willing to help her escape to a better life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Lucia was getting desperate. No one had given her anything today except the priestess from the Temple who had given her a septim when she helped water the dying tree in the courtyard. Everyone else had ignored her, hurrying on to the castle on top of the hill or down to the market where they could exchange their money for something other than plain gratitude. Then a High Elf came out of the Temple and sat down to rest on one of the benches under the tree. He didn't seem to be busy or mean like the Redguard lady who sat under the tree and read a book all the time, so she approached him. 

"Mister, could you spare a coin? Please?"

He looked up at her sharply and she stepped back in surprise. His eyes were so different from human eyes, bright green and pointy like the rest of his face, almost mean-looking. But when he spoke to her his voice was kind.

"How old are you?" 

She swallowed hard and answered, "Almost seven."

"You're awfully young to be begging."

"It's...it's what Brenuin said I should do. He's the only one that's helped me since...since mama..." Tears started coming, like they did every time she thought about her mother. The elf pulled a handkerchief out of one of his belt pouches and handed it to her. She wiped her eyes and sniffled.

"Your mother died?" he asked quietly. 

She nodded. "My aunt and uncle took over the farm and threw me out. Said I wasn't good for anything. I came here...it was the closest town, but...I...." The tears wouldn't stop now. The high elf knelt next to her and put his arm around her until she had finished crying. 

"I'm sorry," she said. "I just miss her so much."

"I understand," he said, and they way he said it made her think he _did_ understand. At least more than Brenuin did. The elf fished a few coins out of an inner jacket pocket, handing them to her before he stood up. "Here. This will get you something hot to eat at the inn.”

"Thank you, Mister Elf," she said. Lucia was trying not to stare, but he was so tall! Did he have to duck to go inside? Is that why they called them "high" elves? He smiled down on her, patting her head as he headed towards the stairs up to the castle.

"Mister! You forgot your hanky!" she called, but he didn't hear her. Oh well. Maybe he'd be at the inn tonight and she could give it back to him then.

*****

Thanks to the nice elf Lucia had enough money to buy a bowl of soup at the Bannered Mare and maybe some bread as well. She dashed in through the front door happily that evening, holding her coins tightly in her hand. Then she saw Brenuin. He was sitting at the bar, and from the looks of him he was already drunk. She couldn't go to the bar or he'd see her. Maybe she could find Miss Saadia...no, it was too late. He had already seen her standing at the door.

“Looshy!” Brenuin called. “C'mere, shweetie!” He waved his empty tankard at her. Hulda made a face at him, then turned away and started sweeping up.

Lucia sighed and walked up to the bar. Brenuin ruffled her hair, almost falling off the stool as he did so. He stank of ale. “How mush didjoo get today?” he asked her. 

“Five septims,” she said, shrinking away from him. 

“That'sh wunnerful. The ale here is only _four_ sheptims!” Brenuin caught himself on the counter before he completely tipped over. “Hulda! Another roun'!”

“Just one more and then I want you out of here!” Hulda called as she drew his ale. She yanked the tankard back as he reached for the it. “Uh-uh. Money first.”

Brenuin leaned down and took all of Lucia's money from her hand. He proudly smacked them down on the bar where Hulda snatched them up and banged the tankard down. Lucia sighed. Now she didn't even have enough to buy bread. She turned away and bumped into someone's knee. It was the nice High Elf from this afternoon. He was glaring at Brenuin, but when he looked down at her he smiled.

“Hello again,” he said.

“Hi, Mister Elf!" She reached into her pocket and pulled out the handkerchief, now badly wrinkled and slightly damp. "You forgot your hanky earlier. I cleaned it off in the stream by the Temple.” He chuckled.

“You can keep it. I gave it to you as a gift. Just don't let him see it or he'll want one too,” he said, glaring at Brenuin again. “You look chilly. Let's go sit by the fire," he said, steering her over to one of the benches in the middle of the room. As soon as they sat down, Saadia came over to them.

“Hello, handsome. What can I get you?” she asked.

“Depends. What kind of soup do you have tonight?” he replied.

“We've got beef or apple cabbage. Vegetable is two septims, beef is four.”

“Which do you want?” he asked Lucia.

“Beef,” she said decidedly. 

“Two bowls of beef stew, some bread, and a sweetroll for the girl,” he said, counting out his coins. Saadia took the money and went to get their food. 

Lucia's eyes lit up. A sweetroll! She hadn't had one of those in forever! “Thank you, Mister Elf!” she said happily. 

“Call me Garion,” he said. “And your name is...Lucy? Is that what Brenuin called you?”

“Lucia,” she replied, emphasizing the last syllable. “He only calls me Lucy when he's been drinking.”

“Ah. Does he do that often?” Garion said absently, staring into the fire.

“Not all the time. Just sometimes.”

“Mmmm.” Garion kept staring into the fire. Behind them, Brenuin finally fell off his stool.

“Jon! Drag this sot out of here before he pukes!” Hulda shouted. A tall, lanky Nord yanked the drunken man up and half-dragged, half-walked him to the side door as the other patrons laughed and jeered. Saadia opened the door for Jon who none too gently shoved Brenuin out. Everyone except Lucia and Garion applauded, then went back to what they were doing before the interruption. Garion cast a sideways glance at the embarrassed little girl, but before he could say anything Saadia brought dinner. 

As they ate, Garion distracted Lucia from the unpleasant scene by asking her about the farm where she grew up. She told him all about helping weed the kitchen garden and the men who came to help harvest the crops in the big fields and the wonderful afternoons when she and her mother would ride the old cart horse. Lucia remembered her manners and didn't gobble her food or talk with her mouth full, but it was hard not to. It had been so long since she had had beef stew and fresh bread. Usually she got the stale ends of yesterday's loaves and vegetable soup when she could afford it. She saved her precious sweetroll for the end. It was wonderfully sticky. 

"Do you feel better?" Garion asked as she licked the icing from her fingers.

"Much better, thank you," she said, then yawned.

He smiled indulgently at her. "I guess that means it's bedtime."

"I'm sorry. It was a good dinner." She climbed down from the bench and gathered her dishes together. "Are you going to stay in Whiterun?" she asked hopefully.

He shook his head. "I'll be leaving tomorrow. But I'm glad we met, Lucia, and that I was able to give you a good meal."

"Good night, Mister Garion."

"Good night, Lucia. Be careful out there."

She slipped out through the kitchen door, staying out of Saadia's way as she darted back and forth getting people's meals ready. Once outside, she paused for a moment to let her eyes adjust to the dark before she went to her "bedroom." Shortly after she arrived in Whiterun Brenuin had restacked the woodpile next to the Bannered Mare so that there was a hollow place inside. Once it was filled with straw it became a cozy room. He said if she added another half-bale of straw it would be warm enough to sleep in over the winter. Unfortunately she wasn't going to be sleeping there that night: Brenuin had found it first and had passed out inside. Sadly she turned around and curled up next to the kitchen stairs where she shivered herself to sleep.

*****

A few hours later a tall, dark figure tripped over her. "What the...Lucia? What are you doing there?" The mysterious person knelt down, pulled something dark off its face, and became Garion. "Is this where you sleep at night?"

"Not always," she said nervously. Was he mad at her for tripping him? Just then Brenuin snorted loudly in his sleep. Garion glanced over his shoulder then turned back to Lucia, one eyebrow raised.

"He passed out on your bed?" he asked. When she nodded, he just sighed and shook his head. "Get up. I'm not going to let you sleep out here in the open like this."

Lucia got up slowly, feeling a little scared. She squeaked when Garion picked her up and wrapped her in his dark cloak. "What...what are you doing?"

"You're going to sleep inside tonight, little miss," he said sternly. "It's going to rain soon and I don't want you catching your death of cold." Silently he opened the kitchen door and carried her up the stairs to a small room on the second floor. He didn't put her down until he had shut the door firmly.

Lucia was shocked. "Miss Hulda said I wasn't allowed in the guest rooms! They're only for paying folks!"

"I paid for this room but I have work to do tonight so I won't be needing it. You can sleep in here while I'm gone." He pulled the covers down roughly, obviously irritated about something. Lucia hoped it wasn't her, but if he was then why was he going to let her sleep in his room? Why did he pay for a room if he wasn't going to sleep in it anyway? What kind of work did he have to do in the middle of the night? She wanted to ask, but she was so tired all she could do was yawn. By the time he had put her to bed and tucked her in, she was already asleep. 

Garion watched her sleep for a few minutes before he reattached his Nightingale mask and left the room. He was going to have to get a lot of money together in a hurry to finance the new plans he was formulating so he might as well get to work.


	2. Chapter 2

Garion left the next morning, but not before he had given Lucia a hearty breakfast and a small pouch she could tuck inside the waistband of her skirt to hide her money from Brenuin. He promised her that he'd be back in a few weeks to check up on her. Lucia nodded, but she wasn't counting on him. Grown-ups were always saying things like that, but they never kept those promises. That was one thing Lucia had learned very quickly after coming to Whiterun. 

Life went on pretty much as it had before, with a few minor changes. Thanks to the hidden pouch, Lucia was able to keep enough of her money to buy a hot meal every now and then. Brenuin had to cut back on his drinking somewhat since he had to depend more on the proceeds of his own begging to earn enough septims for ale, but he still managed to get falling-down drunk at least once a week. When he wasn't hung over he'd go to the town square in the morning to listen to the crazy priest Heimskr harangue passers-by about Talos. Lucia went with Brenuin once to hear him, but she didn't like it much. He said elves were all bad, especially High Elves, but Garion hadn't been bad at all. She missed him.

One sunny afternoon in late Hearthfire, Lucia was standing near the stream that ran around the big dead tree, half-listening to Heimskr. She saw Garion climbing the stairs from the market, talking to a shifty-looking man with dark circles under his eyes. When they reached the benches under the dead tree, the elf saw her and waved. She ran over to him.

"Let me know when it comes in so I can get Vex off my back," he said to the shifty man as she approached.

"Of course," the other man said. Lucia shivered at his voice. It was so slimy-sounding. "I'll let you know the second it crosses my threshold."

"Excellent. Until then, Mallus," Garion said. As the shifty man turned towards the Temple of Kynareth, the elf turned to Lucia. "Hello little one. You look much better than you did the last time we met."

"I hid my money like you said," she said. "I've been eating lots more."

"And it shows. You don't disappear when you turn sideways," he said. Lucia giggled. "Come. Sit with me and tell me what you've been up to."

She started to tell him about everything that had happened since he had been gone, but Heimskr noticed them and started preaching at them. "And there it is, friends! The ugly truth! We are the children of _man!_ Talos is the true _god_ of man! Ascended from flesh, to rule the realm of spirit! The very idea is _inconceivable_ to our Elven overlords! Sharing the heavens with _us?_ With _man?_ Ha! They can barely tolerate our presence on earth! Today, they take away your faith. But what of tomorrow? What then? Do the elves take your homes? Your businesses? Your children? _Your very lives?_ "

Garion glared at the ranting priest. "On second thought, let's take a walk down to the stables. There are fewer racists there. Besides I have something I want to show you." He stood up quickly and stalked away, Lucia running after him. She didn't notice Brenuin watching them from his perch on the steps leading to Jorrvaskr.

Once they got through the market crowds, Garion slowed down and took her hand. She resumed her chattering as they walked to the stables outside the city gates. The surprise was cropping grass next to the stablemaster's house: a white stallion with a black nose. When he saw the elf coming, he trotted over to him to sniff his jacket. Lucia was delighted.

"What do you think," Garion asked, pushing the horse's nose away.

"He's so pretty," Lucia breathed. "What's his name?"

"Frost. He loves apples. Want to give him one?" Garion produced a green apple from one of his pockets and gave it to Lucia. She held it out to Frost who gobbled it right out of her hand, then sniffed around her for more. His whiskers tickled, making her giggle.

"Don't get fresh," Garion scolded Frost as he scratched him behind the ear. "Do you want to go for a ride?" he asked Lucia.

She caught her breath. "Can I?"

"Of course. I'll help you up." Before she knew it, he had picked her up and settled her on Frost's back, then jumped up behind her. "Now hang on tight. Frost likes to gallop."

He certainly did. Lucia felt like she was flying. They galloped all the way to the foot of the big mountain on the other side of the river. Garion slid off Frost's back, then helped Lucia down. While the horse nibbled at a grassy patch, the other two walked over to a nearby waterfall. Lucia was mesmerized by the big silver salmon in a deep pool near the foot of the falls. As she watched the fishes swimming there was a loud bang that made her jump. One of the salmon rose to the surface of the water with a big ice spike through it.

"Got it," Garion said smugly. "What do you say to some fresh fish for lunch?"

"How did you do that?" Lucia marveled.

The elf wiggled his fingers at her. "Magic. Comes in very useful for those times when you've forgotten a fishing line." He waded into the river and grabbed the fish before it floated away. "Gather up some of that driftwood and stack it on that flat rock near Frost," he told her.

Soon the fish was gutted, spitted, and cooking over a fire that Garion had started with another spell. Lucia asked him a million questions about magic: how did he learn, could all elves use magic like that, did it hurt his hand to hold fire, could she do it? Garion told her how most Altmer children started learning magic when they were around her age and, after they had eaten, taught her how to call up a small flame. She tried and tried, but all she could do was make her fingers hot.

"Keep practicing," he said. "It takes a while for humans to get the hang of it."

They rode back to Whiterun as the sun set. Lucia was happier than she had been in a long time. That day was the first she had spent outside of the city since she had arrived after leaving the farm. It was so nice to get outside the walls and spend some time away from all the crowds. She leaned back against Garion and sighed.

"What's wrong?" he asked. 

"I wish you could be my papa," she said. 

"If I had a house for you to live in, I'd adopt you right now," he replied. "As it is, my current living situation isn't conducive to family life."

"What does that mean?"

"I have a bed in an apartment I share with a lot of other people," he explained. 

Lucia was disappointed. "Oh."

"But," Garion continued, "I almost have enough money to buy a house in Riften. It's on the edge of the city, right along the wall. On the city side there's a small garden and on the other side there's a deck leading down to Lake Honrich. Plus it's right behind the stables so Frost won't get lonely." The horse twitched his ears at the sound of his name. "It's close to my Guild so I won't have to travel to get my work assignments and there are lots of children in the city for you to play with."

Lucia couldn't believe it. Was he really talking about adopting her?

"What do you think? Does that sound like a place you'd like to live?"

She couldn't think of anything to say except "Are there fish in the lake?"

"Lots of them. There's a whole fleet of fishing boats based in Riften. You can see the docks from the house. I should be able to purchase it in another couple of weeks if my luck holds out. Definitely before snow flies."

"And then I can come live there with you?"

"If you wouldn't mind having an Altmer for a father."

"I don't care! You'd be the best papa ever!" she exclaimed.

They had arrived at the stables. When Garion dismounted, she threw her arms around his neck and fell off Frost's back into the elf's arms. He chuckled and hugged her tightly.

"It's a deal. Once I buy that house I'll come right back to Whiterun and adopt you," he promised. "Now help me get Frost settled and we'll go have dinner."

*****

This time Garion stayed in Whiterun for a week. He worked out a deal with Hulda to let Lucia sleep in his room at night. Sometimes she had the room to herself while he "dealt with some business" after dark, but he would always be there in the morning, curled up in a bedroll on the floor. Every day they rode Frost around the hold, exploring the nearby farms and rivers. One day they rode out to Lucia's old home which was on the other side of the Western Watchtower. She didn't want to go, but Garion said it was only proper to speak to her family about the adoption. Neither of them expected the farm to be deserted. The house was shattered and the fields were torn up as if a giant had stomped through them. According to Garion, that was exactly what had happened.

"See this?" he said, showing her traces of fur embedded in a deep rut. "That's mammoth fur. I would wager that someone, possibly your uncle or someone who lived near here, killed it and the giant came to get revenge. I don't think giants eat meat; they keep the mammoths just for their milk and as a sign of wealth. That's why anybody who kills one is going to have a boulder strapped to a tree trunk coming down on them."

"Is that what broke the house?" Lucia asked. Half of the building was splintered while the other half was barely standing up on its own. Garion said yes, and that the whole thing would probably fall down in the winter storms. He examined the ruins while she waited with Frost. There were no human remains inside, so her aunt and uncle had probably escaped.

"They're probably wandering the hold now, trying to find a new place to settle. Serves them right for tossing you out. Their loss, my gain," Garion said smugly. Lucia agreed, although she was glad she hadn't been at the farm when the giant attacked. The bard at the Bannered Mare had a song about a man who fought a giant and it did not end well for the man.

That was the only dark spot of that wonderful week. Well, that and the fact that Brenuin kept glaring at them whenever he saw them together. Lucia didn't like being in the main room of the inn whenever he was there because he'd sit at a table near the front door and stare threateningly at her. She didn't know if Garion had noticed; he always ignored Brenuin. But she never ventured far from the elf's side, and at night when he was working she made sure the door of their room was locked.

The day Garion left he and Lucia walked down to the stables together. He gave her a big hug, a piece of taffy, and a pouch full of money so she could keep renting the room at the inn. Then he mounted Frost and rode away. Lucia spent the rest of the day exploring the stream that ran out of the city towards the White River and trying to make fire. She still couldn't make a flame, but her fingers felt much hotter. That evening she rode back into the city on a wagon loaded with potatoes from a nearby farm. Then things started going wrong.

Hulda refused to let her rent a room for the night, even though she had the money. "It's harvest time and I've got farmers coming in from all over the hold. I don't have a room I can waste on a little beggar girl," she snapped. Lucia begged and pleaded, but Hulda refused to budge. Finally Lucia gave up and went back to her woodpile bedroom. That's when she discovered how Brenuin was going to get back at her for her friendship with Garion. The woodpile had been knocked down and all the straw was gone. She spent a cold night huddled next to the kitchen stairs.

The next morning she found Brenuin listening to Heimskr preach in the town square. They both glared at her as she approached. 

"Look who's come crawling back," Brenuin snarled. "No time for old Brenuin for the past week, but as soon as her rich elf buddy leaves here she comes again. Go away! I'm through with you!" He turned away from her, anger radiating from him. 

"But I just..." was all Lucia said before Heimskr interrupted her.

"Now Brenuin, let me deal with this. Child, have you come to repent of your wickedness?"

"Re...repent?" she repeated.

"Yes, repent. Have you come to renounce your friendship with that wicked High Elf and embrace the love of mighty Talos?"

"But Garion's not wicked! He's nice! He's gonna 'dopt me when he comes back!" she insisted.

Brenuin snorted. "Ha! If he was going to adopt you, why hasn't he done it already?"

"He's earning money to buy a house in Riften," Lucia said, tears rolling down her cheeks. 

"Riften!" exclaimed Heimskr. "Ah, child, don't you understand? He's not buying a house there, he's going to send you to the orphanage. It's run by a cruel woman who beats the orphans morning, noon, and night. She only feeds them thin gruel and works them all half to death until they're sixteen and then she sells them into slavery. He's tricked you, lass."

Lucia stamped her foot. "No he hasn't! Garion doesn't lie! He's going to buy a house with a dock and a garden and we're going to go fishing on the lake!"

Heimskr continued as if she hadn't spoken. "Now if you give up your misguided friendship with this enemy of mankind, I might be willing to take you on myself. Brenuin says you're a good, biddable child and I could use some help around the house while I tend the lost souls of Whiterun."

"See?" Brenuin said, turning to face Lucia again. "Despite what you think, I am looking out for you."

"I don't want you to! You're mean! You take all my money and get drunk with it! You knocked my woodpile house down! And you're mean too!" she continued, turning to Heimskr. "You tell lies about elves, but you don't even know any! If you met Garion you'd know he's not evil! _You're_ evil! You're evil and hateful and I don't want to live with you!" She ran away sobbing.

The two men shook their heads sadly. "Poor misguided child," said Heimskr. "She's already been witched by that High Elf. I only hope she comes to her senses before it's too late."

"Far as I'm concerned, he can have her," growled Brenuin. "Ungrateful brat."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know in the vanilla game Frost is a palomino and that is _wrong._ My Frost really is white with a black nose as Sleipnir intended. ¡Viva la mods!


	3. Chapter 3

Lucia didn't go back to the main square after that, choosing to stay in the Plains District or in the residential part of the Wind District. She also stopped sleeping at the Bannered Mare. Now that she knew what Brenuin had been up to she was afraid he might snatch her up and give her to Heimskr while she slept, so she started hiding in a different place every night. One memorable evening she snuck into the Grey-Mane's cow pen only to find two other children, Lars and Mila, already there. They were going to push the cow over and they asked Lucia if she wanted to help. Once all the lights went out in the house, the three children pushed the cow as hard as they could, but she mooed loudly and they had to run away before old Eorlund Gray-Mane came out of the house with a battle-axe. 

Two weeks passed. The winter winds started blowing from the north and people began sealing up all the chinks the wind uncovered in their walls. Lucia tried to find a warm place to sleep each night, but most of the time she was lucky to find a lukewarm wall to curl up beside so she caught a cold. Then all the farmers left in a hurry and the guards locked the city gates for the first time since the Great War. A dragon had been sighted near the city, the first one seen since the one that destroyed Helgen the previous summer. People cast worried glances at the sky whenever they went outdoors.

One evening as Lucia looked for a place to sleep, it started snowing. "I'll be back before snow flies," Garion had said. Well here it was, and he hadn't come back yet. For one bitter moment, she wondered if what Heimskr had said was true, that Garion hadn't meant to keep his promise. Then she remembered that no one had come into the city for a week since the guards locked the gates. Maybe Garion was outside trying to get in. She decided to sneak up to the top of the walls to see if Frost was at the stables.

She had just reached the top of the steps in the Wind District leading down to the guard barracks when someone shoved her. She tumbled down the stairs, smacking her head sharply on the edge of at least three of them. When she hit the bottom whoever had pushed her scurried down and started pawing at her. He smelled like stale mead and kept muttering to himself. "Elf-lovin' brat. Knew she wash holdin' out on me. Gimme dat." He found her hidden pouch and ripped it off of her. "Rich bastard givin' you all the money. Now ish _mine_. Go back to your traitor elves, brat!" he snarled, kicking her hard in the ribs before stumbling off into the darkness.

Brenuin had robbed her. 

Slowly, painfully, Lucia climbed to her feet and started off towards the closest light. She staggered up the road, so dizzy that she was seeing double. Somehow she managed to climb up the steps that were in suddenly in front of her but when she raised her hand to knock on the door she collapsed.

Fortunately she landed against the door when she fell, so someone inside heard her and brought her inside.

*****

Lucia woke up in a small cot covered with soft furs. Her head and side ached, but the dizziness was gone. She had been washed and dressed in a new nightgown. Someone with blond hair was sitting in the chair next to her bed. She sat up quickly, thinking it was Garion, but when he turned her way she saw he was a wood elf.

"You're awake! Good! I was starting to get worried," he said.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Elrindir. What's yours, little rabbit?"

"I'm Lucia. How did I get here, Mr. Elrindir?"

"My brother Anoriath found you on our doorstep two days ago and brought you in. You've been a very sick little girl, but it looks like you've beaten the worst of it." He put his hand on her forehead and nodded. "Yes, you're much cooler now. Would you like something to drink?"

She nodded. He got up and left, returning a few minutes later with a cup of warm tea. "Drink the whole cup and then we can talk."

"Has anyone come looking for me?" she asked as she drank her tea. 

"No. Is there anyone I should keep an eye out for?"

"Have you seen Garion? He's a high elf. He has blond hair like yours and green eyes and he's really tall," she replied.

"Most of them are. Tall, that is," Elrindir said wryly. "No, there haven't been any high elves in Whiterun lately. I take it this is someone you want to see?"

"Uh-huh. He's gonna 'dopt me when he comes back. But he said he'd be here before snow flies and it's snowed already and he's not here and I'm worried," she said without taking a breath. 

"I haven't seen him, but I'll tell Anoriath to watch out for him in the market. Now for my next question: do you know who gave you those bruises?" 

Lucia took a deep breath and winced. It still hurt to breathe a little. "It was Brenuin," she said decidedly. "He pushed me down the stairs and took my money and kicked me in the side and called me an elf-loving brat."

"Ah." Elrindir's eyes narrowed. "I see. That explains where he got all the money he's been spending lately."

"Don't let him find me! He'll give me to Heimskr and I don't like him!" Lucia begged.

"I don't either. Don't worry, we'll keep you here until your Garion comes to get you,” Elrindir reassured her. “The Drunken Huntman is known to be a hive of 'elven villainy', as Heimskr so eloquently puts it, so he won't come near the place." He was just about to say something else when another wood elf came into the room.

"Well well well, it seems like our wounded little rabbit's awake."

Elrindir nodded. "Yes, she is. This is Lucia, a friend of the elves."

Anoriath raised an eyebrow. 

"She's waiting to be adopted by one of our taller brothers. You haven't happened to see an Altmer around, have you? Blond hair, green eyes, answers to Garion?"

"No, no one's come into the city from outside since the guards locked the gates two weeks ago. I think I remember him, though. If he's the one I'm thinking of he'll find a way past the gates, never you fear."

"I hope so," Lucia yawned.

Elrindir stood up and tucked her in. "Get some rest, little Lucia. We'll be in the other room if you need us." 

"Mmm-hmm," she murmured, already falling asleep.

"Did you dose her tea, brother?" Anoriath asked as they left the room.

"Just an analgesic to ease the pain.”

“One of the ones that causes drowsiness it looks like.”

“Most of them do. Leave the door open a crack in case she wakes up."

*****

After a few days, Lucia was well enough to get out of bed. She met Jenassa, the other resident of the Huntsman. She was a dark elf mercenary who was temporarily out of work until the gates were opened. When Lucia learned that dark elves were adept with fire magic, she showed Jenassa how she could almost make a flame. Jenassa promptly showed her a better way to do it, and soon Lucia was squealing with delight at the small fire dancing in her hand.

“See? It's easy. Now put it out before you burn yourself. Never hold a spell too long or it'll turn on you,” Jenassa said.

“It's easy when you explain it,” Lucia replied, quenching her first flame spell.

“That's because I don't think about it, I just do it. Altmer always want to overthink magic. It's part of their nature.”

When she wasn't learning fire magic from Jenassa, she was helping Elrindir around the Huntsman. She would sweep the floors and wipe the tables down while he made arrows. He wouldn't let her touch the arrows, but she could watch him work as long as she stayed very still and didn't jiggle the table. In the evenings Anoriath would teach her to cook while he complained about his dwindling supplies.

“If they don't open the gates soon, I'll have to close up the stall. I _have_ to go out and hunt soon or I'll go crazy!” he said, staring forlornly at his bow and arrows collecting dust in the corner.

This statement was always followed by a muttered “ _He'll_ go crazy,” from Elrindir while Jenassa and Lucia wisely stayed out of it.

Then one day Anoriath came home at noon with big news.

“The dragon's back! It flew over the city just a little while ago and now it's attacking the Western Watchtower!”

Elrindir dropped the arrow he was fletching. Jenassa glanced worriedly out the window. Lucia sat very still on her stool where she had been watching Elrindir. Anoriath came over to her, an excited look in his eyes.

“I saw Garion, too. He came running through the market heading towards Dragonsreach. I managed to get hold of him as he was coming up the stairs to the Wind District and told him to come by later on.”

“Really?” Lucia jumped off the stool and broke the arrow Elrindir dropped. “When is he coming? Did he say?”

Anoriath shook his head. “No. He just nodded and kept on going. He said something about having to see the Jarl first.” 

“Look! The guards are assembling!” Jenassa said from the window.

They all ran to the front door to see. Most of the Whiterun Guard was gathering by the gate barracks, standing at attention. Soon the Jarl's Housecarl, Irileth, arrived with some of the Dragonsreach men and a rather windblown high elf.

“It's Garion! Garion! Over here!” Lucia cried. He looked over when he heard her and gave her a quick smile and wave before turning his attention back to Irileth who was addressing the troops.

“All right, men. Get your weapons ready and stay close. Let's go kill a dragon!"

Irileth led the guards out of the city, Garion following. The city gates closed behind them with a reverberating bang. Lucia noticed the remaining guards had their bows out and kept looking west. She jumped when Elrindir put his hand on her shoulder.

"Come on inside, Lucia."

She followed him in, but she was very quiet the rest of the day. They all were. While the elves got their bows and arrows ready “just in case,” Lucia curled up in a chair next to a window overlooking the city gates. She had a million questions but she knew that no one there could answer them, especially the main one: why was _Garion_ going to fight a _dragon_? So instead she stayed out of everyone's way and watched the blacksmith shut down the forge early.

There was an earthquake while they were eating dinner and a voice calling out a word none of them understood. Anoriath grabbed his bow and ran outside, but there was no one there. Now everyone was worried. After a quick whispered conversation among the elves, Lucia found herself put to bed early. As soon as Elrindir left she climbed out of bed and sat next to the door so she could hear what the grown-ups were doing. Eventually she fell asleep on the floor and didn't wake up until she heard Garion yelling _“WHAT?”_ a few hours later. She pressed her ear to the door, trying to hear the conversation.

Elrindir shushed him. “Quiet, she's asleep.”

“He stole from her and he's still walking the streets?” Garion hissed.

“Well, it's not like the guards would do anything. To them it's just a case of one beggar robbing another,” the wood elf replied. “Never fear, we've kept her away from him. She's recovered from her illness and her bruises.”

“Thank you,” Garion said. “I'm glad there's some decent people left in this rathole of a city. Folks say Riften is bad, but at least the beggars there don't go around attacking children!”

“Brenuin's been getting out of hand lately,” Anoriath put in.

“Clearly. You said Lucia's in there? I'll go check on her if you don't mind.”

Lucia scurried away from the door and sat on the bed.

“Not at all. She's your child,” Elrindir replied. “We'll see you in the morning.”

“Good night,” Garion said. He came into the bedroom on silent feet. Lucia leapt off the bed into his arms.

“You came back! Heimskr said you wouldn't but I knew you would!” she squealed, hugging him as hard as she could.

“Of course I came back. I told you I was going to. I'm sorry it took so long, little rabbit. It's been a very, very busy few weeks.” 

“Did you kill the dragon?”

“Yes,” he said slowly. “It is completely dead now.”

“What about the earthquake? Did you feel it? Wasn't it scary?”

“It was definitely...unsettling.” He sat down on the bed with her sitting in his lap. “Now what about you? From what I've heard you've been having a lot of adventures while I've been gone.”

Lucia told him everything that had happened since he left (except the part about tipping the Gray-Manes' cow). Garion's eyes narrowed when he heard about what Hulda and Heimskr had said, and he actually growled when she told him about Brenuin robbing her. He was quiet for a while after she had finished. He just held her and stroked her hair. 

“You poor child. I should have thrown that stupid rock at Farengar. If he hadn't pestered me so much about it, I'd've been here in time.” He sighed. “Oh well. What's done is done.”

“What rock?” Lucia asked sleepily.

“That, my dear little rabbit, is a story for another time. Right now it's past time for you to go to sleep. We have a big day tomorrow. I'm taking you to Dragonsreach to formally adopt you.”

“Really? And then we'll be going to Riften?” she asked as he tucked her in.

“Yes. Sleep well, Lucia.”

“You'll stay here tonight?” she murmured as he tucked her in.

“Yes, I'll be right here,” he reassured her. And he kept his promise—until she was fast asleep, then he snuck outside to take care of a few people.


	4. Chapter 4

Lucia and Garion were up with the sun the next morning, although he wasn't nearly as lively as she was. He had a cold bath to wake himself up before breakfast, and then spent a few minutes digging through his pack to find some clean clothes. Finally, just when Lucia was about to burst with impatience, he was ready to go. Anoriath walked with them as far as the market.

There was a disturbance at the jewelry stall. A crowd gathered around the well to watch the action. Anoriath tapped Carlotta, who ran the produce stall, on the shoulder. "What's going on?"

"Fralia was robbed last night," she replied.

"What? She always takes her wares home with her."

"Not yesterday, remember? We all ran home when the dragon flew by. Fralia left her case full and someone came by last night and cleaned her out."

"Let go of me! I didn't take it!" a man yelled.

"Brenuin!" Lucia gasped. She clung to Garion's arm, trying to hide behind him. He picked her up and smiled at her.

"He's not going to get you," he whispered in her ear. "Just watch."

"If you didn't take it, how did this fall out of your pocket?" a guard asked, waving an amulet in his face. 

"I was framed! I didn't rob nobody! I was at the inn all night! I got witnesses!" Brenuin wailed.

The guard snorted. "Sure you do. You and a whole bunch of ale bottles."

"It wasn't me! It was him! That thieving high elf over there! He broke into the case last night! I saw him!" The crowd turned in the direction of his pointing finger. Whispering conversations broke out: "Is that him?" "It is!" "It can't be." "They said it was true." _"Dragonborn."_

"What are they talking about?" Lucia asked.

"Remember last night when you asked me about the dragon and I said it was completely dead? That's because I absorbed its soul when it died and learned I can Shout like dragons do," he told her. "I'm apparently the embodiment of a Nordic legend. Rather ironic, really."

Lucia had no idea what he was talking about, but apparently it meant something to everyone else. Some people stepped back from him, others looked at him nervously. One of the guard even bowed to him before smacking Brenuin in the back of the head. "Come up with a better one, you miserable drunk! That's the Dragonborn you're insulting. He's the reason why we still have a city to live in right now. Take him off to jail, men. Fralia, we'll get the rest of your jewelry back to you."

The crowd dispersed into smaller groups as the guards dragged Brenuin away, but they all watched as Garion carried Lucia up the stairs into the main square. He put her down when they reached the top and held her hand as they continued their journey.

"When did you turn into a dragon?" Lucia asked him. 

Garion gave a short laugh. "Honestly, I don't know. I just know that yesterday I discovered that I'm more powerful than I ever imagined. Say something, I dare you," he said as they passed Heimskr at his shrine. The priest just turned away from them and headed back to his house on the other side of the square. It was the first time Heimskr refused a challenge.

"You're really powerful if you can make Heimskr go away," Lucia said admiringly.

"He's having a mild crisis of faith right now. Oh, by the way, this is yours." He handed her a pouch of coins. Lucia's eyes widened when she saw it.

"My pouch! How did you get it back?"

"Come here and I'll tell you." Garion led her to a small waterfall next to the stairs leading to Dragonsreach and knelt down in front of her. He pretended to adjust her dress as he spoke in a low voice. "Brenuin told the guards the truth. I was the one who robbed Fralia last night, and I made sure he saw me do it."

Lucia was shocked. "Why?"

"Why did I rob her or why did I let him see me? The second question is easy: I wanted him to make a fool of himself in front of everyone. After what I did yesterday, I could walk away with the whole city in my back pocket and no one would bat an eye. As to why I robbed her, well..." He gave her a mischievous look. "I'm a thief. Robbing people is what I do. Most people think Altmer are too stuck-up to lower themselves to thievery and I'm not afraid to use their prejudices to my advantage. Which is another reason why no one believed Brenuin. I robbed Fralia and I planted her jewelry on Brenuin so he'd go to jail where he deserves to be."

Lucia thought about that for a minute. "So thieves aren't all bad."

"No, we aren't. Someone has to keep the balance between the haves and have-nots, so that's what we do."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, take this here." He jingled her coin pouch. "That was Heimskr's savings and Hulda's retirement fund. They had so much they thought they could take advantage of a child who had nothing. So I evened the balance out. I took their money and I'm giving it to you."

"So thieves aren't bad people, they're just doing their job," replied Lucia.

"Exactly." Garion ruffled her hair. "But it's still against the law, so you can't tell anyone what I really do for a living or I'll go to jail too."

"I wouldn't do that to you, Papa," Lucia replied. "You can keep your promise so I'll keep your secret."

Garion kissed her forehead. "Ah, Lucia, you're a good daughter. Come on, let's formalize this adoption and head to Riften. You're going to love your new home."


End file.
